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Farah Pandith to Visit MHC

Friday, March 9, 2012 - 9:45am

Farah Pandith, special representative to Muslim communities for the U.S. Department of State, will present “Muslim Engagement and Social Change in the Twenty-first Century” Tuesday, March 27 at 7:30 pm in Hooker. She will discuss how the State Department is engaging with Muslim communities around the world, why this is a presidential priority, and how young people are changing the global landscape.

"Farah Pandith's visit to Mount Holyoke is a tremendous opportunity for us to bring the Women in Public Service Project from Washington, D.C., to our campus,” says President Lynn Pasquerella. “At the December colloquium that launched the project, student participants had the privilege of a special evening session with Farah, a conversation that was declared as the highlight of the entire event. As the first-ever Special Representative to Muslim Communities for the State Department, Farah is an inspiring role model for our students, and I'm confident she will influence even more of our students to consider leadership in public service."

During her visit, Pandith will meet with student leaders from the Student Government Associations of both Mount Holyoke and Smith and she will join a class taught by Jon Western and Rogelio Miñana on new media and international human rights advocacy. The Career Development Center is also organizing a seminar for Pandith to talk with students about career opportunities in public service.

Pandith is responsible for executing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s vision for engagement with Muslims around the world. She played a key role in the founding and development of the Women in Public Service Project, Clinton’s collaborative initiative between the State Department and Sister Colleges Mount Holyoke, Smith, Wellesley, Barnard, and Bryn Mawr.